Chino, Calif – May 10, 2010= The Supercross series and Yoshimura racing went out with a bang in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday night. Everything in Vegas is cooler, brighter, more exciting; and the Vegas Supercross race is no exception. Just the start of this race is more exhilarating than most. The riders propel out of a hidden alley into Sam Boyd Stadium, and over a ski jump that launches them down the straight and into the first turn.Qualifying went well for Yoshimura’s racers. Andrew Short had an exciting heat race on his CFR450 as he battled for third place in lap four; swapping positions several times before triumphing over his opponent and making the pass permanent. Short had gained another position by lap seven and finished his heat race in second. Ryan Dungey was on fire in Vegas, winning his heat race and setting the tone for the main event earlier by having the fastest lap time in qualifying. Davi Millsaps finished fourth in heat two on his Yoshimura-powered CFR450.
The main event, as forecasted by the qualifier, went well for Yoshimura. Dungey got the holeshot on his RMZ450 powered by a Yoshimura RS-4 exhaust. He lead from the start and never looked back. Dungey, who is the 2010 AMA/FIM Supercross champion, put in blisteringly fast lap times consistently for the entire 20-lap main event.
Yoshimura riders and teammates Andrew Short and Davi Millsaps started the race off in a battle for sixth place. Millsaps came out on top after colliding with Short in a turn. Millsaps raced his way up to fourth place by lap five but, after some difficulties on the track, moved back to sixth to finish the race. Andrew Short’s Yoshimura engine helped him to get from seventh place to fifth place for the finish.
Ryan Dungey finished the season with 363 points: a 70-point lead over second place. It is the largest points gap between riders since 1999. Dungey earned 16 top five finishes, 6 main event wins, 5 holeshots, 9 heat race wins and, of course, the 2010 AMA/FIM Supercross championship on his RM-Z450 with Yoshimura’s help. He became the second rookie and the youngest rider to win the Supercross championship: a highly successful season for Dungey and Yoshimura.
To commemorate the amazing feat by Dungey and his team, Yoshimura made a hand-welded titanium and carbon fiber trophy unlike anything the rookie has ever seen. The trophy features photos of Dungey as well as the Yoshimura carbon fiber RS-4 just like the one that was with Dungey every step of the way in his successful 2010 Supercross season. The trophy was presented to Dungey during a team celebration, and the new champ was thrilled with the workmanship and creativity that went into the piece. “That’s got to be the coolest trophy I’ve ever seen,” Dungey said. “I’m going to find a good place to put that back at home.”
Dungey is now preparing for the Outdoor National Motocross series that begins on May 22 at Hangtown.
The trophy has 3-D photos of Dungey’s amazing 2010 Supercross season.
